Various commentators and writers have compared this summer's Test series between England and India with the 2005 Ashes. I don't buy that comparison at all, as the Australia team of 2005 was an order of magnitude greater than the current Indian team. Yes, Dravid, Tendulkar and Laxman are fantastic batsmen, but so were Ponting, Gilchrist and Hayden, and the bowling departments are miles apart.
Australia had Warne, McGrath, Lee, Gillespie and Kasprowicz. India have Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, Praveen Kumar and Sreesanth.
As if to prove this dichotomy, India without Zaheer Khan have looked almost completely toothless, whereas Australia without Glenn McGrath were still almost unbeatable. The 2005 Ashes were famed for their intense battles in every match, and the series hung in the balance right to the last day of the Fifth Test.
Now that Zaheer has been ruled out of the two remaining Test matches, I predict that India will lose the series 4-0, and it won't even be close. Not much of a comparison at all.
Australia had Warne, McGrath, Lee, Gillespie and Kasprowicz. India have Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, Praveen Kumar and Sreesanth.
As if to prove this dichotomy, India without Zaheer Khan have looked almost completely toothless, whereas Australia without Glenn McGrath were still almost unbeatable. The 2005 Ashes were famed for their intense battles in every match, and the series hung in the balance right to the last day of the Fifth Test.
Now that Zaheer has been ruled out of the two remaining Test matches, I predict that India will lose the series 4-0, and it won't even be close. Not much of a comparison at all.
Comments